Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2 (21cineplex.com)

Looks like Robin Hood is no match for Tony Stark.

Although the epic prequel movie of Robin Hood legend took the lead at the worldwide box office in its first weekend of release, apparently it had to admit the strength of  Iron Man 2 who once again crowned as the King of box office, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.

The fifth collaboration of director Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe earned $111.1 million from 57 markets, but only took home $37.1 million in the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, the superhero sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. returned to No. 1 with $53 million domestically in its second weekend, and pulled in $84 million worldwide, taking its total to $457 million.

Despite the pretty good figures, Iron Man 2 did not hold up as well as its predecessor, with ticket sales falling less than 50 percent from its big opening weekend. Iron Man 2 was down nearly 60 percent from its, granted, even bigger opening weekend.

Further details about Robin Hood, the Universal Pictures blockbuster made its world premiere at the opening selection at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday. It cost at least $155 million to make, in which Cate Blanchett co-starred as Maid Marion.

Nikki Rocco, Universal’s president of domestic distribution, said the global figures reached beyond the studio’s expectations. “The combination of the subject matter and Ridley and Cate and Russell, that would be the driving force behind it,” he said. “It confirms that `Robin Hood’ is an endearing and enduring legend and I think the cast resonates with filmgoers.”

Among the other new releases, the Summit Entertainment romance “Letter to Juliet” came in at No. 3 with a disappointing $13.8 million. The film stars Amanda Seyfried as a New York journalist who travels to Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

Another romantic comedy, “Just Wright,” opened in fourth place with $8.5 million. In the movie that was released by 20th Century Fox, Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist who ends up treating — and falling for — an injured NBA All-Star played by hip-hop artist Common.

Here’s a list of the weekend’s top-grossing films, compiled from estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters:
1. Iron Man 2, $53 million
2. Robin Hood, $37.1 million
3. Letters to Juliet, $13.8 million
4. Just Wright, $8.5 million
5. How to Train Your Dragon, $5.1 million
6. A Nightmare on Elm Street, $4.7 million
7. Date Night, $4 million
8. The Back-Up Plan, $2.5 million
9. Furry Vengeance, $2.3 million
10. Clash of the Titans, $1.3 million

So with that result, here’s another congrats for Iron Man 2!